


The Capacity for Change

by surrealmeme



Series: MCU Canon Divergent Frostiron [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Discussion of Homophobia, Ergi, Gen, Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Assault, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Threats of Rape/Non-Con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-31 20:53:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15127607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/surrealmeme/pseuds/surrealmeme
Summary: “So, how do you feel about the general society and attitude here now?” Tony questioned, mixing a drink.“My views on Midgardian social attitudes?” Loki said. “I still prefer it to those of Asgard.”Or, Loki and Tony talk about social issues on Asgard.





	The Capacity for Change

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place in an AU in which The Avengers ended with Loki managing to turn against the Chitauri/Thanos + acquire and keep the Tesseract. He eventually exchanges it with Odin for his exoneration and freedom; eventually he becomes a chaotic neutral sometimes-ally to the Avengers that periodically animates large objects and sends them on a rampage to be a pain in said Avengers’ asses.

“So, how do you feel about the general society and attitude here now?” Tony questioned, mixing a drink.

“My views on Midgardian social attitudes?” Loki said. “I still prefer them to those of Asgard.”

Tony placed the drink in front of Loki.

“Even after the shit you saw today? You do realize how bad that was, right?” Tony questioned, surprised.

“Do not think I am condoning or dismissing it in any way,” Loki quickly said. He emptied half the glass and said, “Such attitudes are worse on Asgard, that’s all.”

Tony set down the bottle of liquor he had picked up from the counter.

“That fucker from today assaulted two teenagers and threatened to fucking rape them! Just because they were lesbians.”

Loki sighed.

“He did indeed, and you know full well how I was dissatisfied with his merely being apprehended, Anthony,” he said.

“And that’s exactly my point,” Tony said. “You don’t give a shit about humans as a whole - you think they’re all beneath you! And then you want to disembowel the bastard but _still_ insist what happened is better than how it is on Asgard? Sorry, but from what I’ve heard from both you and Thor, men on Asgard don’t typically go around threatening rape.”

“If you would wait for my explanation instead of constantly blurting out whatever comes to mind, Stark, you would not be so confused!” Loki spat out. “This is not a subject I’d like to discuss, so I suggest you _listen_ when I feel willing to explain.”

Tony frowned. Loki rarely grew frustrated so easily and quickly.

“That might’ve been a bit ruder than I meant,” Tony conceded as an apology and request to continue.

Loki finished the rest of his drink and said,

“The difference is that here on Midgard, or at least parts of it, that man’s attitude is extremely frowned upon; people are outraged over it. It is undisputedly _wrong_. On Asgard, however, it’s quite the opposite. While that level of violence and sort of threat reflect very poorly on oneself, the attitude itself - the hate and ostracizing of the ‘other’ - is very expected. On Asgard, what is ‘wrong’ would be those girls, much more so if they were male,” Loki explained, a dark look coming into his eyes.

Before Tony could express his very strong opinions on Asgard’s views, Loki asked,

“Have you ever heard the term ‘ergi?’”

Tony shook his head no.

“It is perhaps the gravest insult in Asgard’s language,” Loki said. “Say a man was called ergi. If it is proven that it was unwarranted, he gains the legal right to kill his accuser.”

“And what does it mean?” Tony asked, half-knowing the answer already.

“The most literal translation would be ‘unmanly,’” Loki said, “but a large part of it is the connotations of effeminacy, cowardice, and sexual perversion.”

“And I’m assuming ‘sexual perversion’ means homosexuality,” Tony acidly said.

“Not entirely,” Loki answered. “Ergi really only applies to the receptive partner. It shows his being passive, which then translates into effeminacy.”

At some point, Loki’s tone of voice had shifted from frustrated and bitter to carefully neutral and matter-of-fact.

“And you’ve been called ergi before,” Tony said, his tone showing it was more a statement than a question.

Some of the bitterness returned to Loki’s voice as he scoffed and said,

“More times than I can count, yet never to my face. I _exemplified_ all the qualities of being ergi.”

Effeminacy Tony could see - Loki had never restricted himself to only a male form, spending much time in other bodies and using other pronouns. Sexual perversion Tony could also see, although he did not agree with the term.

“You’re not a coward,” Tony said, plain and simple. “Can’t have been, to do what you did with the Chitauri and Thanos.”

Loki ruefully smiled.

“It seems that you Midgardians and Thor are the only ones that feel that way.”

“Why?”

“On Asgard, the very essence of how I fight - how I fought against the Chitauri, like you mentioned - is considered to be cowardly,” Loki explained. “I manipulate and trick people, speak in lies and half-truths. I talk and persuade my way out of whatever mess I get myself into. They see that as my being too craven to stand behind my actions. All of it’s the opposite of what an ideal man should be - a forthright and open warrior.”

Tony’s frown somehow managed to deepen even further. He was starting to understand what kind of society Asgard was, and it was hardly surprising that Loki preferred Earth.

“And what’s wrong with the way you fight?” Tony asked, his own indignation appearing in his voice.

Loki fixed him with an unimpressed stare.

“Did I not just tell you, Stark.”

“Yeah, you’re a manipulative little shit,” Tony said, earning a raised eyebrow and warning look from Loki. “But you don’t fight with your words, do you? Well, not exclusively, at least. You fight with a shit ton of knives and your Nordic magic, whatever it’s called - I think it started with an S? - so I’m asking you, _what’s wrong with that_?” Tony said in a manner that made it clear that he thought the answer should be “Nothing.”

Loki blinked, surprised.

“You truly do not see a fault? Not a single one?” he asked, careful and incredulous.

“Obviously not.”

“Thank you,” Loki said, “you may have been the only person to say that to me, except for, perhaps, my mother. And she was in no way as in favor of my lying as you are.” Loki took a short moment to collect his thoughts, and continued, “The blades I use are daggers and knives - small, easily hidden. They are the least respected weapon one could choose to use.”

“That _literally_ doesn’t make sense. It’s a blade like any other,” Tony argued against the values of Asgardian warriors. “And you have be closest to your enemy - it’s a short blade!”

“But you could also throw them from a safe distance,” Loki said. “Or quickly stab someone out of sight, then slip away. Get close to your enemy, like you said, make them believe - _trick_ them into believing - that you have no weapon, as knives are easily concealed, then stab them and run. How dreadfully treacherous and dishonorable.”

“More like ‘how effective,’” Tony said. “And smart - takes enemies out with minimal harm to your own self. And, what, that’s supposed to be cowardly?”

“Precisely,” Loki said. “It is well-known amongst the warriors of Asgard that I am not skilled with a sword, or spear, or any other direct, forthright, and honorable weapon. Instead, I am suited to knives and rely on hiding, deception, and flight to dispatch my enemies, making me not only weak but also craven.”

“Fine,” Tony said with a hard voice. “That’s how it is on Asgard, _fine_. And what’s so damn craven about your magic? I’ve seen you use it - you’re never that full of bravado and ‘in your face’ to your enemies as when you’re using magic.”

“Seidr - my magic - is near entirely based on manipulation and illusion. Nothing forthright about it at all,” Loki said, “and, as if that weren’t enough, seidr is considered to exclusively be a woman’s weapon. So, any man that practices seidr is automatically and intrinsically ergi,” he finished.

“What the hell? That’s fucked up,” Tony angrily said.

Another rueful smile from Loki.

“It is indeed,” he said. “And there is nothing you or I can do about it. Changing a central attitude held by a very long-lived people since the beginning of their existence is an impossible feat. That is why I like Midgard and wish to stay, Anthony,” Loki said. “For all the shortcomings of humans due to their brief lifetimes, there is one extraordinary trait of theirs that few others possess - the remarkable capacity for progress and change.”


End file.
